


Forget Me Nots

by maefli



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Doctor!Cas, Fluff, Letters, Love Letters, M/M, Minor Character Death, Soldier!Dean, World War II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2014-08-21
Packaged: 2018-02-10 04:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2010543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maefli/pseuds/maefli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“To our last night on Earth.” Dean shouted as he raised his glass. A chorus of voices echoed his and silence quickly fell as the soldiers gulped down their drinks. Last night on Earth. The thought pounded itself into Dean Winchester’s head. They had spent nearly two months in basic training and it all added up to this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Last Day on Earth

**Author's Note:**

> Seeing as this is a historic fic I will do my best to keep my facts straight but if you've find I've messed up somewhere please let me know and I will fix it ASAP. Please leave kudos and comments! I love feedback so much.

“To our last night on Earth.” Dean shouted as he raised his glass. A chorus of voices echoed his and silence quickly fell as the soldiers gulped down their drinks. _Last night on Earth._ The thought pounded itself into Dean Winchester’s head. They had spent nearly two months in basic training and it all added up to this.

“You ready for tomorrow, Winchester?” A hand clasped Dean on the shoulder and he turned around to see First Lieutenant Henrikson. He would deny it if ever asked outright, but Dean was forever grateful to Henrikson. When he first arrived at camp he walked through every training session in a daze. His head was full of worry for his younger brother Sam who had shipped out two weeks before him. Victor Henrikson was the one who pulled him aside and quite literally smacked some sense into him. Once Dean finally got his head on straight he was able to advance quickly through the ranks, reaching First Sergeant only a week before the orders to ship out came.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, Vic.” He said waving the bartender over to fill up his glass with another shot of whisky.

“That’s Lt. Henrikson to you,” Victor said with a wink, “Heard anything from Sammy boy lately?”

“Not since he shipped to England. He told me he’s heard rumors of a battle happening on Normandy.” What Dean didn’t mention was the fact that Sammy had found evidence that was slowly turning these rumors into a reality. Dean wasn’t one to pray, but he couldn’t help the prayer that escaped his heart hoping this battle would soon be forgotten.

“Well Winchester, you tell that brother of yours to take care of himself, and Dean, you take care of yourself too.”

Dean waved Victor on and resumed his drinking. After his third glass he saw a body sit down in the seat next to his.

“Barkeep,” Dean spoke up, “one drink for my new pal here.” Dean turned to face the man sitting next to him and was surprised by what he found. His barmate was slight and lean but not in a way that gave of a weak aura. His hair was dark brown, almost black, but that’s not what made Dean’s heart skip a beat. It was the bright, blue eyes that looked right into his own.

“I am perfectly capable of ordering my own drink thank you very much.” The strangers voice was deep and he sounded like he had just swallowed gravel. Dean opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. “I guess I can let it slide just this once seeing as it is, how you say, our last night on Earth.” Dean watched the corner of the man’s mouth twitch into what appeared to be the beginning of a smile, this gave him all the confidence he needed to speak again.

“You know what? Forget the drink. How about a dance instead?” Well, he could speak, that didn’t mean he had to say anything intelligent. You can’t just go around asking men to dance, especially when you aren’t sure said man likes to dance with other men.

“Pardon? Did you just…? Did you ask me too…?” The man stuttered.

 _Shit. Nice going, Winchester._ Dean thought. How was he going to work his way out of this one? “Um...No what I meant was...um...we could…” He buried his face in his hands trying to hide the blush that was creeping into his cheeks.

“I would like to dance with you!” Blurted out the stranger.

Dean’s head shot up and he looked that man straight in the eyes. Without saying a word he offered his hand. As the man took his hand he felt a warmth spread from his arm into his chest. His heart began beating a bit faster than it had before. Dean led his partner to the dance floor and they began to slowly move to the music.

The song blasted through the radio but Dean barely heard a note. His ears only picked up when he noticed the stranger singing along.

 

_Forget me not today,_   
_Though I am far away,_   
_Just let my memory stay_   
_Safe in your heart._

 

Dean leaned into his dance partner and hummed the notes as he sang.

“Castiel.” The stranger said as the song came to a close.

“Huh?” Dean snapped out of his trance.

“My name it’s Castiel.”

“Nice to meet you, Castiel. I’m Dean.”

Castiel smiled and pulled Dean closer as another song began and they danced into the night, forgetting what tomorrow would bring.

  
  


\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


Sometime after midnight Dean and Castiel waltzed their way out the bar. Almost as if it were second nature, Dean grabbed Castiel’s hand as they walked down the street until they were about a mile out from base camp. They came upon a creek and finally sat down. Dean put his arms around Castiel and pulled him closer. Castiel leaned his head against his shoulder and Dean was surprised by how easily they fit, like a puzzle that was finally complete.

After sitting and listening to the creek for a few minutes, Dean finally spoke up, “So Cas, what’s your chosen field?”

Cas lifted his head to face Dean and he was surprised by how much he missed the warmth. “Medical Corps. I always liked the thought of being able to heal people.”

The creek bubble beneath them and Dean slipped off his shoes and socks, rolled up his pant legs, and dipped his feet into the rushing water. He heard shifting on the grass behind him before Cas’s feet joined his. The water was cold but it was a refreshing chill after the heat of the late spring days.

“Are you shipping out tomorrow with the rest of us?” Dean asked.

“I am. They’re sending me right to France. Where are you going?”

“We’re headed to England. There’s supposed to be more training there before they finally ship us out to fight.”

Silence fell upon the pair again but it was a comfortable silence. Castiel’s hand found it’s way into Dean’s. Somewhere in the distance they heard crickets chirping. Dean turned to look at Cas to find him looking at the sky. His eyes shown in the starlight and Dean felt his heart skip a beat. Here was a man who he had known for less than five hours, a man who he was in all likelihood never to see again, the thought of never seeing Cas again made his chest ache. Before he could overthink it, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on Cas’s cheek. Cas turned to look at him, but Dean just smiled and lay back on the damp grass.

“Know any constellations? My little brother Sammy always tried to point them out to me but I could never see them.”

Cas slowly lay back next to Dean and said, “I know a few. See those four stars that make a sort of cross? That’s Crux. And those ones over there makes Centaurus.”

Dean searched the sky but came up with nothing. “Dammit, Cas. How do people find these things? They just look like a bunch of stars.”

Cas lifted up their intertwined hands and began to point out the various shapes that lit up the night sky. Dean eventually gave up and started making his own constellations. Soon they were both filling up the sky with various creatures and shapes and signs. A breeze was blowing but Dean didn’t feel cold. This was the happiest he had felt in weeks. But that happiness was cut short when he remembered that tomorrow he would be heading far away from everything he had ever known. Even his training camp was only a 45 minute drive from Lawrence, Kansas, the town where he grew up.

But what was left for him here anyway? His mother had died when he was a child, leaving their family to try and pick up the leftover pieces. Dean tried his best to make the house feel like a home but when your father leaves you and your brother alone most days to travel the country looking for any job to take his mind away from the empty hole his wife’s death had left in his life, home is almost a foreign concept. If it wasn’t for their surrogate Uncle Bobby rushing in whenever John rushed out, Dean doubts their broken family would have even lasted this long.

When Sammy shipped out, John finally packed up everything he had and left without even a goodbye. Of course he would leave. Sammy was the only one John stayed around for anyway. Dean never blamed Sam, he loved Sam, he just knew where his father’s heart was. Maybe that knowledge helped lessen the blow. But here and now, with Cas, this felt like a home he had always wanted.

“Write me.” Dean said as Cas was turning a particular cluster of stars into a fire hydrant.

“What?” He said dropping their hands back to the ground.

“I’ve had a really good time tonight and I like you. I was thinking maybe we could write each other.” Dean looked at Castiel to find his eyebrows bunched together, as if he were trying to solve a riddle.

“You want me to write you?”

“Yeah. I mean, if you want. You don’t have to. I know we just met and I…”

“I would like that, Dean. I would like that very much.” Cas smiled so wide that Dean couldn’t help but smile back.

Dean pulled Castiel close and kissed the top of his head. “Awesome.” He said as a shooting star flew past. “Make a wish, Cas.”

“I wish we didn’t have to leave tomorrow.”

Dean opened his mouth to respond but never got the chance. Somewhere in the distance a siren began to whine.

“I guess it’s time to get back.” Cas groaned as he stood up. He offered Dean a hand and the two walked back to camp together. And if they held each others hand a little too tight, no one had to be the wiser.

  
  


\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


As they neared the camp they slowly let their hands drop to their sides. It was too early to say goodbye. Dean found himself fumbling once again for Cas’s hand, his search was rewarded when their hands met and his hand received a light squeeze. The pair stood at the gate, looking toward their separate barracks. Dean closed his eyes and felt the light press of lips against his cheek. He turned to find himself face to face with those soul piercing, blue eyes. He lifted his hand and pressed it to Castiel’s cheek, rubbing his thumb along the cheekbone. He placed his forehead against Cas’s and together they breathed in silence.

“I found something for you, by the creek.” Said Cas. He stepped back from Dean and reached into his jacket. He pulled out a small, blue flower and pressed it into Dean’s open hand. “This might seem silly. You’ll probably think it’s cheesy, but it’s a Forget Me Not. Like the song that was playing when you asked me to dance and I thought it would be nice for you to have and…” Cas’s words were cut short when Dean pushed their lips together. It started off slow and warm. A heat filled Dean like he had never felt before. Cas’s lips, although slightly chapped, were smooth against his own. The other man responded quickly to the kiss and their lips began to move together. It was over too soon. Dean was the first to pull away, though every part of him fought against it. He instead pressed a kiss onto Castiel’s forehead and whispered, “Forget me not, I will write you soon. Be safe.” And without looking back, he walked towards his barracks and towards the long journey that awaited him.

 

  

  
  
  
  
  



	2. Ticket to Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He pulled out a small envelope, “I was passing through one of the cars when one of the soldiers asked me to give this to you. He said it was from a doctor friend of his.”  
> Dean grabbed the letter and saw his name scrawled upon the front. He searched the back for any sign as to whom the letter would be from, but there was nothing but his name. He opened the envelope to find a letter inside. His heart skipped a beat.

May _4, 1944_

 

Dean barely slept a wink that night, he rationed to himself that he would have plenty of time to sleep on the week long boat ride over. He kept replaying the night in his head. At some point he began to panic, worried that he had moved too quickly. But Cas was beautiful and kind. He knew about constellations and he had a smile the could light but an entire room. When he finally closed his eyes he dreamt of a bubbling creek and a world at peace. He dreamt of home, family, and love. But most of all he dreamt of bright blue eyes.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The trumpet blared at the asscrack of dawn and Dean woke up with a groggy head and a heavy heart. He got dressed in his uniform amidst the shouts of his fellow officers. Everyone packed up their meager belongings and headed into the mess hall for further briefing. Breakfast consisted of substitution eggs, hashbrowns, and imitation sausage. Dean ate what he could before rounding up the rest of the men in his charge. The rest of the morning passed by in a blur and all too soon they soldier’s were loaded onto the train headed to New York. He sat by the window and watched the countryside fly past. Spots of green and brown passed by in quick succession.

“You doing alright there, Sergeant?” A voice said from the seat across from him. Dean looked up to see Henrikson sitting down.

“Yeah. I’m great. Just had a hard time falling asleep last night is all.”

Lt. Henrikson stared at him like he knew there was something Dean wasn’t telling him. “If I had the time I would ask you the reason behind that, but I’ve got a lot of leaderly type things to do. I just came by to hand you this,” he pulled out a small envelope, “I was passing through one of the cars when one of the soldiers asked me to give this to you. He said it was from a doctor friend of his.”

Dean grabbed the letter and saw his name scrawled upon the front. He searched the back for any sign as to whom the letter would be from, but there was nothing but his name. He opened the envelope to find a letter inside. His heart skipped a beat.

“I’m guessing you know who that’s from so I’ll just leave you alone to read it. Have a nice trip, Winchester.” Victor stood up and moved on throughout the car. As soon as Victor was out of sight Dean pulled out the letter.

 

_Dear Dean,_

_I never got a chance to say how much I enjoyed last night. I don’t get out much and most people I meet_

_find me too awkward to be around. Yesterday was the first time I believed I could actually mean something to someone,_

_so thank you._ _Thank you, Dean. I hope your journey goes well and I look forward to hearing from you soon._

_Yours,_

_Castiel_

 

Dean read the letter over and over again. His heart was pounding in his chest and he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. Cas actually wrote him. Of course he had said he would, but saying and doing are so different. Dean grabbed his bag and headed towards the observation car. Upon entering the car he was bombarded with the smell of smoke. There were two men off to the side sitting at a table and playing a game of cards smoking ugly cigars. A group of women were sitting in the back cackling loudly and gossiping about someone he had never heard of. He pushed his way through the many people standing about to the back corner where a small wooden desk was. He sat down on a creaky, old chair and pulled a sheet of paper and a pencil from his bag and began to write.

  


\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

_Dear Castiel,_

_You were quick on the draw weren’t you, buddy? I can’t say I’m disappointed at getting a letter so quickly though._

_Is it strange that I’ve only known you for a day and yet it feels like I’ve known you for longer. Can I say I miss you? You_

_know what, I’m gonna say it anyway. I miss you. This war is going to be too damn long and too damn lonely. But I’ll have_

_you and Sammy to write to, right? Sammy is my brother. Did I tell you about him? He’s the smartest kid you’ve ever met_

_without a doubt. He was studying to become a lawyer before this war came about. A damn good lawyer he’s gonna be too._

_I can’t wait for you to meet him one day. That is if you want to. I know we’ve been moving pretty fast, I hope that’s okay with_

_you. If not just say the word and I’ll step back. I don’t want to force anything on you._

_I can’t believe how boring this train ride is. There is nothing spectacular to look at here in the midwest, maybe when we start_

_hitting the big cities there will be more exciting scenery. I’ve always wanted to visit a big city but this is not the way I pictured it_

_happening. I’m going to run to the dining car, I’ll let you know how it goes._

_I can say with confidence that that is an experience I never want to happen again. While I did use my award winning smile to_

_convince the chefs to make me a bacon cheeseburger, it was by no means the best burger I have ever had. The waiters were grumpy_

_and the passengers looked at the soldiers’ like we were dead men walking. But I guess in a way we are. It’s strange to sit down and_

_write a letter when I know that in just a few short weeks I could be gone._

_Well they are announcing that the beds have been turned down for the night and since I didn’t sleep too much last night I should_

_get what sleep I can now._

_Yours,_

_Dean_

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


The train pulled into the station the next morning and from there the soldiers quickly boarded the boat that would take them to England. The trip took a total of two weeks and the whole time Dean was itching to dock so that he could send his letter. He wanted to search the entire boat for Cas, but the Med Corps had taken a separate boat heading towards France. He passed the time checking and re-checking his equipment, playing, and winning, poker games against his fellow soldiers, and reading any book he could get his hands on.

At night Dean would get restless and sneak up to the deck to look at the stars. He would pull out the small, blue flower and search the night sky endlessly for new constellations to show Cas when they saw each other again. A few times, a Private from his squad would come and sit with him. His name was Adam Milligan. Dean had grown to like Adam, at first he thought he was just a snot-nosed brat who jumped far too excitedly into his training. After talking to him before training one day, he learned that Adam was actually terrified to go into battle, but he knew that the money was going to his widowed mother and that was all he needed to survive. Dean took in upon himself at that moment to look out for Adam, he don’t know what he would do if anything ever happened to the kid.

One night when Adam came up Dean showed him some of the constellations he had found with Cas, in return Adam told him the mythology’s that went along with some of the actual shapes that dotted the sky. They talked until the sun began to peak above the edge of the water. Dean shooed Adam away and told him to get what little sleep he could.

But now the ship was docking and Dean had to step back into the role of soldier and leader. He gathered his squad at the order of his Staff Sergeant and together they boarded another train for the short ride to Dorset, where their camp was located. When they arrived Dean was expecting to be sent to another tent, he was surprised to instead be directed to a row of houses.

“You’ll be staying with the owners of the house you are assigned. We are American soldiers so I expect you to act like it. I hear about any disorderly conduct and I will have your head are we understood?” Shouted a Captain from the front of the line.

“Yessir!” Each soldier shouted in unison.

Dean waited in line for his assignment. When it finally game he was pointed towards an old ramshackle house. He grabbed his bag and went right to the door. Before he could knock the door was flung open and there stood a girl with blonde hair about his age. Her face was etched into a scowl as she looked Dean up and down.

“Excuse me,” Dean said as she began to step back into the house, “I’m Sgt. Winchester. I believe I have been assigned to your house.”

The girl laughed and shut the door in his face. Dean stood there and blinked. He didn’t know how to proceed. Maybe he had gotten the address wrong. He turned to leave when he heard shouts coming from inside the house.

“Joanna Beth Harvelle, you let that young man in or so help me I will not allow you to go watch anymore of those training sessions!” There was a crash and a slam before the door was opened again. The girl, Joanna, stormed past Dean in a huff, but not before flipping him the bird. Dean watched her run out of sight.

“Sorry about that. She’s not too happy about the situation.” Dean turned to find an older woman with light brown hair and kind eyes. The lines in her face painted who she was. The crows feet by her eyes crinkled when she smiled, and the tight lines on her forehead showed when she had been angry or frustrated. Before Dean had the chance to say anything, the lady grabbed his bag and led him inside. The house was old and showed the signs of years of use, with walls a faded and peeling yellow, and wooden floorboards that were worn and creaking. Dean was overwhelmed by the feeling of home.

The lady led him through a hallway to a small room with several cots placed on the floor.

“I know it isn’t much but we did the best we could with what was given to us. There will be a few more soldiers coming throughout the day so be prepared for roommates.”

Dean held his hand out to her and said, “Thank you. I’m Sgt. Dean Winchester. 16th regiment, 3rd battalion.”

The woman took his hand in hers, “Ellen Harvelle. Welcome to Dorset.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos! You can follow me on tumblr: jensen-datass-ckles.tumblr.com


	3. Secrets and Strangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the edge of town was the post office and it was the most busy of all the places Dean and Jo had passed. They walked to the back of the line and waited for their turn. Dean turned to Jo to find her looking right back, staring at the forget me not peeking out of Dean’s jacket pocket.

_May 17, 1944_

 

Before any of his roommates could show up, Dean quickly claimed a cot and then asked Ellen where the nearest post office was. She directed him and taught him the coins he would need to use in order to properly purchase a stamp and send his letter. Dean thanked her and went on his way. The street was lined with soldiers and families all trying to find their place. Dean wove his way in and out of the crowd trying to remember the direction Ellen had pointed him in. He soon realized he was lost. Dean looked around for a friendly face to ask for help when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to find Joanna standing behind him.

“My mom said you might need help finding the post office.” She said before walking away, expecting him to follow, and follow he did. He ran to catch up with her and together they walked in silence. “You can call me Jo.” She said after a few minutes of quiet walking. Dean nodded and continued on his way, he figured it would be best to let her offer up information of her own free will. Jo didn’t say much more after that, but the silence stayed comfortable. A few minutes later they entered into a small town. There were five or six shops lining the street and people were bustling in and out of all of them. They passed by a barber shop, a grocery store, and what appeared to be a shop for clothing. Each store was full of patrons, though no one looked to be purchasing anything. The war had been tough on everyone and finding a spare penny was rare.

At the edge of town was the post office and it was the most busy of all the places Dean and Jo had passed. They walked to the back of the line and waited for their turn. Dean turned to Jo to find her looking right back, staring at the forget me not peeking out of Dean’s jacket pocket.

“His name is Cas. I met him just before we shipped out. He gave it to me.” Dean offered up the information as a sign of peace and by the way her shoulders relaxed, he knew the offering had been accepted.

“Tell me about him?” Jo asked. Dean began telling her the story of how they met, thinking about it made his heart ache. He had never been this affected by someone who wasn’t his family. Cas was different, somehow he lodged his way into Dean’s heart.

“That’s a great story and all. But tell me about him. You know, hobbies, favorite color, favorite season, that kind of stuff.” She interjected when Dean finished talking.

Dean moved forward in line, stumped by her question.

“I...I don’t know.” He replied.

“You’re telling me that you are head over heels for some dude you don’t even know?”

“I’m not head over heels.”

Jo rolled her eyes, “Oh shut up. I saw how you talked about him. You’ve got it bad Sgt. Winchester. Best of luck to you though.” She smiled and playfully punched his arm.

They spent the rest of their time in line exchanging small stories about themselves. Dean found he quite liked this English firecracker.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It was mid-afternoon when Dean and Jo finally began to head home. After Dean’s letter was sent, Jo was intent on showing him all around the town. They stopped by a small diner for lunch and Dean had the best cherry pie he could ever remember eating. With a full belly and a light heart, they walked up to the house. Inside it was loud with the chatter and footsteps of the rest of the soldiers that would be staying with them.

Dean headed to his room but was stopped by a large man with the beginnings of a beard.

“Corporal Benny Lafiette, 16th regiment, 3rd battalion” Benny said with a smooth southern drawl, “You must be Sgt. Winchester. Looks like we are now brothers in arms.”

“Nice to meet you, Benny. I look forward to serving with you.” They grasped each others hands just as a lean, gangly body stumbled through the doorway. He stood up straight and adjusted his uniform. Benny walked over to him and clapped the man on the shoulder.

“Winchester, this is Garth Fitzgerald, he will be one of your NCO’s.” Garth was a strange looking soldier to say the least. His hair was brown and cut longer than the usual military style. His movements were awkward and his face was stuck in a permanent, childish grin.

“It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you Sergeant,” Garth spoke up, “I’ve heard so much about you and I can just tell you are as awesome as they say.” He shook Dean’s hand with much enthusiasm. Dean pulled his hand out and excused himself from the room. Ellen and Jo were busy in the kitchen so Dean didn’t bother to say goodbye as he slipped out of the house. He walked until he saw the training camp. Soldiers lined the fields, some were already working, others milled around getting used to the new surroundings.

The gravel roadway crunched under Dean’s feet as he walked towards the tents. He wanted to find Lt. Henrikson to ask what to expect in the coming weeks. As he approached the tent he was told would house his Lieutenant, Dean heard deep voices coming from inside. The voices were kept soft but urgent. Dean knew he should walk away but his curiosity got the better of him and he leaned forward to hear better.

“If what the paratroopers said is true, it will be Normandy.”

“How long until we hear anything official?”

“Well how the hell am I supposed to know? From what I can tell they don’t even want us to know this much already. Probably don’t want any information leaking.”

The voices blended together, talking more about plans and battles. Dean’s heart began to beat rapidly. This was really happening. Sure he had been training for months and he knew there was a war going on, but the reality of the situation never really sunk in. Not until now that is. Dean quickly and quietly left the tent. He walked all around the camp and by the time he returned to the tent, Victor was emerging with several officers. After they had all gone, Dean called out to Victor.

“Sergeant,” Victor said as he walked over, “we need to talk.” Without giving Dean a chance to respond, Victor continued walking expecting him to follow. They wandered the camp until they came across an empty tent. Victor ushered Dean inside and closed the flap behind them.

“Victor, what is going on?” Dean cautiously asked.

Victor sighed, “If you’re going to eavesdrop you should really be more subtle about it. I saw you poking your head into our meeting.”

“Oh, I, um...No excuse, sir.” Dean snapped quickly to attention, awaiting the punishment that would inevitably come.

“Would you stop that? This is not the time for apologies. In fact I’m glad you overheard what you did. Gives us a chance to prepare better.” Victor waited for Dean to relax before continuing. “We’re going to France. No one here is sure on the details, seeing as how we’re not even supposed to know about any of this yet. But we’re going to take this knowledge and put it to use. I need you to get your men into shape, they need to be battle ready. I know you are partial to a few of your soldiers, but that can’t get in the way of your training.”

Dean felt the weight of responsibility fall upon his shoulders, but it was a weight he was used to. It was a weight he had felt for most of his life. Once again Dean snapped to attention, his hand went up in salute. “Sir yes sir!”

Lt. Henrikson chuckled, “You are quite the soldier, Winchester. I’m glad this company has you. Now get your ass down to the field. We’ve got training to do.”

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The first week went by as slow as a slug. The rigorous training was exhausting mentally and physically. The coming battle loomed in Dean’s mind and it pushed him even harder. His men could feel the pressure he was under and responded by doubling all their efforts. Even young Adam worked harder than ever before.

On Saturday night Dean collapsed into his cot and was just about asleep when he heard a knock on the door. He got up slowly and carefully as to not wake Benny or Garth, who were already fast asleep. Although, if Benny could sleep through Garth’s foghorn snore, he was pretty sure he could sleep through a knock on the door. Regardless he stepped as carefully as possible. When he opened the door Jo was standing there.

“Mum made you some dinner downstairs, told me to tell you to come eat.” She whispered.

“Thank her for me but I really should be getting to sleep.”

“You want to get out of eating so bad you tell her yourself.” Jo rolled her eyes and walked towards her bedroom. Dean shut the door behind him and shuffled down the hallway. As he got closer to the kitchen he was overwhelmed by the smell of basil, parsley, oregano, and tomatoes. He followed his nose to the table where he saw a small bowl of spaghetti waiting for him.

“I know it isn’t much, but it’s what I’ve got. You’ve been working yourself silly this week and I figured you haven’t gotten a good meal in you yet, so you are gonna sit and eat until that bowl is empty.” Ellen said bringing over a glass of water. Dean thanked her and began to eat. He could think of all the individual flavors but the only thought that came was home. The warmth of the meal filled his belly. Dean finished his bowl and looked at Ellen who was grinning ear to ear.

He grinned sheepishly. “Thank you, Ms. Harvelle. That was the best thing I’ve eaten in months. You are godsend.”

“Call me Ellen. And you can stop it with all those compliments. I haven’t even given you the best part.” She winked as she grabbed his bowl and went to the counter. Dean heard Ellen cut something. Curious he turned around and saw her place a slice apple pie onto the plate. His mouth watered instantly and without even thinking he stood up and gathered Ellen into his arms.

Her body was tense from surprise at first, but she easily fell into the hug and wrapped the soldier into her arms. “Not that I don’t appreciate the hug, boy. But I have a slice of pie here that needs eating and if you don’t take it I’m sure Jo would eat it in a heartbeat.”

Dean pulled away and rubbed the back of his neck. He could feel the heat in his face from his sudden action and hoped Ellen wouldn’t notice. “Yeah, sorry about that,” he grinned sheepishly, “I just...really love pie.”

Ellen patted his face lovingly and cut another slice of pie for herself. Dean grabbed both plates from her and set them down on the table. Together they ate until there was hardly any pie left. Dean was helping Ellen wash up the dishes when he heard the front door close. He turned to see the strangest man he had ever laid his eyes on. The man had on a united kingdom uniform, but the sleeves were cut off. Dean didn’t understand how any of his commanding officers had accepted the desecration of their kit. His hair was also not up to military standards, he had a damn mullet. Dean was beyond confused, maybe that’s why he didn’t pay attention to the words that came out of his mouth.

“Well who the hell are you?” Ellen smacked Dean’s arms and told him to finish up the dishes.

“It ain’t no problem, compadre. Name’s Ash. I work intelligence in the British army.” Ash hugged Ellen before turning back to Dean.

“Intelligence?” Dean scoffed.

“He’s the best intelligence officer on any side.” Ellen pipes in, sounding like a proud momma.

“No offence,” Dean began, “but you don’t seem...the type.”

Ash smiled, “I get that a lot. But it is the truth. And speaking of intelligence, I decoded a message sent from the US Army today and I think you might want to hear it.”

The air in the room got heavy suddenly and Dean quickly finished washing before going into the living room where Ellen and Ash had gone. Dean and Ellen sat on the old, salmon couch as Ash took an old oak chair across from them.

“Sometime in June, our armies are combining forces and busting into France. They’re coming from the sky, the sea, everywhere. They’ve been real careful about specifics so I can’t really give you more than that, but I figured it was best for you all to be prepared.” Dean nodded as Ash was speaking.

“I overheard something about the attack a week ago. I’ve been working to get my boys ready ever since. Some of them wouldn’t last five minutes in an attack this size. I hope these people know what the hell they’re doing.” They talked about the attack for another hour until Dean excused himself to get what sleep he could. Instead of going to his bed though he went outside and laid down on the grass. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the night. The choruses of crickets chirping calmed the thoughts pounding in his head. The gentle breeze was cool on his face. He opened his eyes and was disappointed to see that the sky was cloudy, not a star to be seen. Dean stood up and went back into the house fearful of what the next week would bring.

 

 


	4. Why We Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “As I’m sure most of you have figured out,” he began, “we are heading into battle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are all enjoying the story! I'm sorry that the updates have taken so long, it seems I've had a bit of writers block and a lot of bad days. But everything seems to have picked back up! 
> 
> If you want you can follow me on tumblr: jensen-datass-ckles.tumblr.com :) Enjoy!

_May 29, 1944_

 

If Dean thought the first week was slow, he was in no way prepared for the weeks that would follow. Every day was more exhausting than the next. Dean had so many new maneuvers and lessons shoved into his head. He did everything he could to keep his soldiers going until his squad was one of the best in the company. Dean knew he could not be responsible for the downfall for any of his men. If they were going into battle soon, they would be prepared.

During the first week Adam began to fall behind. He would forget his positions and somehow his gun always seemed to jam. Dean took it upon himself to stay after everyone else had gone to bed and work with Adam. By the end of the second week, Adam was able to keep up with everyone else.

The Monday of that third week would change the game for everyone.

As each man was going to his usual post, they were stopped and asked to report to the planning hall. Dean walked in to see maps covering the boards at the front of the room with names like “Utah”, “Omaha”, and “Juno” all attached to different sections. He took a seat in the crowded hall, surrounded by other confused men. The sound of low voices was a constant buzz.

“Mind if I sit here, brother?” Dean turned to see Benny standing next to an empty chair.

“Not at all.” Benny smiled as he sat down.

“Have you got any idea what this is all about?” Benny asked as he scanned the maps on the board.

“Well I would assume it has something to do with the war.”

“How did you ever make it to sergeant with that attitude of yours?” Benny said with a wink and a chuckle.

“I’d like to think it was because of my killer smile and knock ‘em dead attitude.” Dean grinned wide and fell into an easy conversation with Benny. Even though they shared a room and a company, there wasn’t much time to talk. Dean felt like he was always running around making sure his men were up to snuff and doing anything he could to help everyone around. But sitting here waiting for who knows what to begin, Dean enjoyed Benny’s company.

A call to quiet down was made from the front of the room and slowly conversations began to die out. Up by the maps stood Lieutenant Henrikson, Ash, and one more person Dean didn’t recognize. The man was tall and lean. His face was attractive enough, but it was covered in hard lines, the lines of someone who had seen too much.  

“Benny, who is that?” He whispered trying not to bring any attention to himself.

“That’s Major Michael Novak. He joined up right at the beginning of the war.”

Dean whistled, “He’s pretty young for a Major, must be one hell of a soldier.”

“From what I hear he gets the job done. He isn’t too friendly though. There are rumors that he didn’t join up voluntarily, he was pressured by his old man.”

“Well I’m not here to become friends with the guy. As long as I can trust him in battle that’s good enough for me.”

Benny nodded in agreement and the two men turned their attention back to the front. Ash caught Dean’s eye and sent him a small two finger salute.

Michael stepped forward and every eye in the room when straight to him. His eyes scanned the men for a bit before finally speaking.

“As I’m sure most of you have figured out,” he began, “we are heading into battle.” The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Major Novak waited a moment before continuing. “On these maps are outlined the beaches of Normandy, France. Our armed forces, combined with those of Britain and Canada, will be storming these beaches in the hopes to take France back from the German influence.

“Each of your companies will be given the specific details of your beach. You are to memorize the plan of attack for not just your company, but for every company. You will need to know this plan backwards and forwards. If we want to have any hope of winning this goddamn war, this is how we do it. ”

Dean slowly raised his hand. “When?” He asked.

“I’m sorry what was that?” Major Novak responded.

“When are we going, sir?”

The Major’s eyes narrowed as he stared Dean down. “When you need to know you will know. Do as you have been told and await further instructions. Do you understand?”

Dean felt a fire in his belly. How could they be expected to be prepared for a battle that no one knew anything about.

“With all due respect sir I do not understand.” He said with more confidence in his voice than he really felt.

Michael stepped away from the boards and began marching over to where Dean sat.

“Up on your feet soldier! Front and center!” He shouted as he came to the end of Dean’s row. Dean shot up and went to where Michael stood. He looked straight into the hard, blue eyes of the man in front of him and though he felt a twinge of fear he refused to look away or to back down.

“State your name and company soldier.”

“Sergeant Dean Winchester, Fox company, sir!”

“I’ve heard about you, Winchester. I’ve heard you like to talk back to those in charge. Is that correct?”

“No, sir!”

“You say no but that’s not what I see. I see you questioning my orders. Are you questioning my orders?”

“No, sir!”

“Sit your ass back down. I will have a talk with your superiors and we’ll see just how much longer you get to keep that sergeant title.”

“Yes, sir” Dean turned and went back to his seat. He was numb to the rest of the meeting. He should have kept his mouth shut. Ever since he was young he had a problem of speaking when he shouldn’t. When everyone was dismissed, Dean said a quick goodbye to Benny and walked straight back to the Harvelle home.

 

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He was laying down on his cot when Benny came in.

“Something came for you in the mail, told Ellen I would deliver it.”

Dean shot straight up and saw the letter in Benny’s hand. Benny chuckled and handed it over. Dean thanked him profusely and went outside to read it. The afternoon air was cool and humid. It looked like it was going to rain, again. It felt like it never stopped raining in this place. He found a tree off to the side of the house and sat down to read.

 

_Dean,_

_I was so relieved to get your letter. I thought that maybe I had been a bit too forward in mine, but then I remembered there is a war on and the mail is slow. It was_

_wonderful to read your letter. While the night we danced was amazing and beautiful, I realized I don’t know a thing about you. Your letter was a great insight into the_

_person that is Dean. I do hope I get to meet Sammy some day, he sounds wonderful._

_I know you are concerned about the speed in which we’ve moved, don’t be. As I said before, there is a war on. We should take pleasure in the small things in life, and_

_though you are no small thing, I want to enjoy this while we can._

_We’ve been very busy over here with truckloads of sick and injured men coming every day. We do what we can but supplies are limited and so many people here become_

_so horrified that they can’t do what is needed to help these men. I never thought it would be like this. My brothers all told me what an honor serving would be. They said_

_it was my duty, that we are a family of warriors. I never wanted to be a warrior. But as long as I am here I will do everything in my power to help._

_I wish I had more time to write. They’re bringing in more men. I miss you. Whenever I have a quiet moment I see us dancing once again. Promise we will dance soon?_

_Yours,_

_Castiel_

  
  


Dean folded up the letter and placed it inside his jacket pocket. He closed his eyes and imagined he was back home dancing with Cas all through the night.

 

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It wasn’t until the next day that Dean was called to meet with Lt. Henrikson. He had been out in the field running shooting drills when someone came to get him. After letting Benny know he was in charge, Dean followed the M.P to the correct tent. When he went inside, Victor was studying the maps they had all been given yesterday. Dean cleared his throat.

“I was told you wanted to see me, sir.”

Victor looked up and Dean knew that this talk wasn’t going to be a fun one.

“That was a really shitty move you pulled yesterday, sergeant. I’m demoting you to Private First Class.” Dean opened his mouth to argue. “Not a word, Winchester. Do you understand the hard spot you have now put me in? Because of your damn mouth I have to lose one of my best guys. Maybe if you are lucky you can work your way back up the ranks, but now that you’ve gotten on the Major’s bad side I doubt that’s possible.”

Dean had never heard Victor’s voice grow so loud. All he could do was stand in silence. The two said nothing for a few minutes before Dean saluted his Lieutenant and left the tent. He went back to where his men were training, no, they were no longer his men. He messed up again. He was always messing up. He grabbed on of the guns off the rack and joined in the line of soldiers. With every pound of his heart he shot another round. He shot until the gun clicked letting him know he was out of ammo. When he turned to grab more he saw Benny standing there, a soft look in his eye.

“Come with me. It’s a little too stuffy out here.” Benny offered and then walked away. Reluctantly Dean put the gun back in its rightful place and ran to catch up with Benny.

“Hey, Benny! Where are we going?” Dean called out after him, but Benny simply kept walking. They walked until they were past the tents and then they walked a little more. Dean and Benny entered into the town and went right up to a building Dean hadn’t noticed when he was here with Jo. The windows were boarded up and the sign that hung above the door was crooked and faded. They stepped inside and Dean sneezed. A cloud of dust rose up from the floor. The old wood floors creaked under their feet as they walked further into the building. A long bar lined the back wall.

“Where the hell are we, Benny?” Dean asked passing a broken table.

“The locals say this used to be the busiest place in town until the war began. People stopped coming because they had no money to afford the booze. Eventually the bar just shut down. This isn’t the only shop to close. This war has affected so many people.” Benny turned to face Dean. “You ain’t fighting this war for you. You are fighting for all those who can’t. For every business owner. For every man, woman, and child whose lives have been ripped apart. So you put on your big boy pants, let go of your pride and do your damn job.” Benny’s voice was quiet but stern.

Dean felt a ball of guilt settle in his stomach. Of course there was so much more to this war, somewhere along the way he had forgotten that. Dean stuck out his hand to Benny and Benny clasped it with his own. They shook hands, a silent promise to forget themselves and fight.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

_Cas,_

_I got demoted this week. It was my own damn fault so don't freak out. There's a new major in our division and I might have decided to talk back to him. I'm just tired of_

_never being told anything. But a new friend of mine reminded me why we are fighting this war. It seems he never forgot. Neither have you._

_How do you stay so strong in the face of such horrors? Especially when this is a place you never saw yourself going? Whatever the reason, I'm proud of you._

_Good news and bad news. The good news is I’ll be heading to France soon! The bad news...we’re going to fight. I can’t write about it much, they’re worried about letters_

_being intercepted. Maybe if we’re in the same area we could sneak out and tear up the town? I will make a promise to you right here and right now that if we survive_

_whatever the hell is about to come, I will come and find you. I need a good dance._

_Most nights I still go out just to see if I can catch a glimpse of the stars. It’s usually cloudy though so I don’t see them very often. I’ve found several new constellations_

_that you need to see. There’s a private in my company, his name is Adam, when we were on the boat ride over he showed me so many. Adam is awesome. He’s young_

_but he’s got so much heart and I think he has a real shot at surviving this whole thing. I don’t have Sammy here so I have to look after someone, right? Adam is that_

_someone._

_I worry about Sammy a lot. I don’t hear from him much, he’s too busy fighting in Africa. The letters are so few and far between. I don’t even think he knows where I am_

_now. God. I’ve gotta find out where he is. My dad would kill me if he knew I’d lost track of him. No, I need to not think about that. It will just make everything harder._

_But hey, if you hear about the whereabouts of a Sam Winchester, you tell him where I am okay?_

_I know he’s in Africa...well I think he’s in Africa…he could have moved. Just keep an ear out for me will you? I guess it’s not fair to ask that since you have so much on_

_your plate, I just worry about the kid is all. I spent so much of my life caring for him that now that he’s somewhere I can’t protect him, it kills me. Is there anyone you_

_need me to look out for? You talked about how your brothers said you needed to fight so I would assume they did the same. Just name a person and I will find them._

_Okay, this letter has gone on far too long and I’ve got to get going. We’re going to the woods today to work on the new battle maneuvers. It’s going to be so strange_

_not leading my men. Be safe. Save a dance for when I get there okay?_

_Yours,_

_Dean_

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> The song is Forget Me Not by Vera Lynn :)


End file.
